New method to synthesize menthol

Menthol is a substance that exists naturally in various mint plants. For hundreds of years, humans have recognized it as useful, causing an immense demand for menthol worldwide. Moreover, extraction from the plants itself ...

A catalyst for sustainable methanol

Scientists at ETH Zurich and oil and gas company Total have developed a new catalyst that converts CO2 and hydrogen into methanol. Offering realistic market potential, the technology paves the way for the sustainable production ...

Using renewable electricity for industrial hydrogenation reactions

From the design of improved batteries to the use of solar and wind power for commodity chemical production, the University of Pittsburgh's James McKone ways that chemical engineering can make the world more sustainable. That's ...

Driving photochemistry with sub-molecular precision

Absorption of light initiates many natural and artificial chemical processes, for example, photosynthesis in plants, human vision, or even 3D printing. Until now, it seemed impossible to control a light-driven chemical reaction ...

Solving the plastic shortage with a new chemical catalyst

In a year that has already battered manufacturing supply chains, yet another shortage is complicating manufacturers' and consumers' lives: plastics, and the food packaging, automotive components, clothing, medical and lab ...

Study unveils details of how a widely used catalyst splits water

A crystalline compound called ruthenium dioxide is widely used in industrial processes, where it's particularly important for catalyzing a chemical reaction that splits molecules of water and releases oxygen. But the exact ...

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